Christ lag in Todesbanden

Christ lag in Todesbanden (Christ lay in death’s bonds) was one of the earliest cantatas Bach wrote for use in church services. Composed around 1707 when Bach was 22, its form is that of a chorale cantata, where both the text and music are based on a pre-existing hymn. For this work, Bach used the eponymous hymn published in 1524 by Martin Luther. Its broodingly introspective melody is first heard in the brief opening “Sinfonia.” Seven vocal movements follow, one for each verse of Luther’s hymn. Comprising two solos, two duets, and three movements for choir, these verses meditate on the “awesome battle” in Christian theology between life and death, and Christ’s role in “casting all sin aside.” Bach’s consummately nuanced response to Luther’s original melody bespeaks a penetrating spiritual insight, and marks Christ lag in Todesbanden as an early masterpiece in his career as a composer.